Team Player
by kimmy77
Summary: Puck overhears a conversation between Rachel, Santana and Brittany and thinks that she is switching teams. Total fluff. Chapter 2 is now from Rachel's POV. Beta'd by the wonderful GoingVintage.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Glee fic and I haven't written anything in years so it totally might be crap. It's not beta'd so all mistakes are mine. I hope that you like it and comments are totally welcome and appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, if I did it would be all Puckleberry all the time. :) I'm just playing with the characters, don't sue.

Team Player

Sometime in the last year things had changed and Rachel Berry had become one of the most important people in his life. She had picked him up and dusted him off after babygate had blown open. She made herself busy trying to mend the friendships and relationships that had fallen apart. She had calmed him down and sung him to sleep the day that he had given his daughter to her adoptive parents. She had made him laugh and smile in his darkest moments. And he had fallen ass over elbows in love with her. And she had no idea.

He wanted to tell her everyday that he was in love with her. That she was it for him. But he had no idea if he would be it for her. Even though they spent a good deal of their free time together they weren't a couple. The only kisses they had shared were chaste. Her kissing his cheek from time to time. He would kiss her forehead. They had spent nights in one another's arms and spent days at a time just the two of them. But, he still felt he wasn't good enough to ask her to be his. So that's what he had been working for the last few months. He worked part time at the Hummel's garage, no more cleaning pools, no more cougars. He had actually read his summer reading list for the first time in years. He was going to all of his classes and trying to reach his potential as Rachel was fond of saying. He was still a badass but he wanted to be more.

Which is why he was early for Glee. Rachel noticed everything so he figured she be happy that he was "so committed to being a vital part of our club". Hell, he was just trying to be vital to her.

He saw her sitting in her usual spot in the first row, Brittany was on her left and Santana was on her right. Not because they were picking on her but because they were friends. Hey, when Rachel Berry puts her mind to repairing relationships she takes no prisoners.

Puck walked up and sat down on the row behind the girls. Matt, Mike and Finn were already there and they were staring intently at the girls.

"Sup guys?" Puck asked.

"Shhhhh..."

Puck was chugging back some water and rolled his eyes at Finn.

Mike glanced at Puck, "Brit and San are totally trying to get Rachel to join in on their sexcapades. It's hot dude!"

Puck almost spit his water all over Mike. Coughing he asked, "The fuck'd you just say?"

Mike sighed, "Just shut up and listen man."

"The answer is still no Brittany."

"But, but Rachel, we need you to do this," the blond girl whined back.

"No, you need someone, that someone does not have to be me," Rachel told her.

"Yes it does! It would be lots more fun if it were you! Plus your a total hottie!"

"I don't see how that matters Britt," said Rachel.

"San tell her. Make her do it."

"It's like this Rachel. Your hot like Britt said. You have really fantastic hair and probably the best set of legs I've ever seen. And to quote Brad Davis, "Damn Berry's ass is smokin, bet I could bounce a quarter off of it." Your also flexible and you've got moves, I've seen them so you can't deny it. You're perfect for this Rach. Like you were made to do it."

Puck didn't know what pissed him off more the fact that Santana was clearly lusting after Rachel's legs or the fact that fucking Brad Davis was looking at her ass. That ass and those legs belonged to him, well, they would when he manned up.

Rachel sighed, "That's all very nice San but this kind of thing, it's just not me. I don't think that I would be comfortable doing it. It's cool that you and Britt are into it but I don't think I would be very good."

Puck smirked. Hell yes she'd be good, but only with him.

Brittany reached over and took Rachel's hand, "Santana and I would never want you to be uncomfortable would we San?" Santana shook her head no. "We will be by your side the whole time. We will hold your hand and talk you through it. We'll even go shopping before hand so you have the right accessories. And your good at everything that you try so you'll be great at this too. You just have to trust us."

"You do trust us don't you Rach?" Santana asked.

"Of course I do, that's not the issue. But this is not my area of expertise and I would really hate to let the two of you down. What if I suck at it?"

"You won't suck! You'll be amazing. And the costume will look super hot on you!" Brittany answered.

"Totally! You've got the legs for the costume Rach." Santana said grinning.

Again with the mother fucking legs. Puck was getting more and more irritated.

"Look if Berry isn't into it then she isn't into it. Stop trying to push her. Not everyone wants to be on your team ya know." Puck growled.

Rachel smirked, "Oh I very much want to be on their team, I'm just nervous about it. They've been at it for a long time and I have no experience."

Mike, Matt and Finn all groaned.

Puck shot straight up out of his seat. "That's it! I've had it!"

He jumped down to Rachel's level grabbed her by the hand and said, "We are going to have a little talk Berry."

"But, but Noah practice is about to start!"

"To damn bad!"

Puck dragged Rachel out of the room and down the hall, "Noah! You're about to pull my arm out of the socket! What is wrong with you?!"

Puck spun around, "What is wrong with me?! I'll tell you what is wrong with me! I haven't spent the last 5 months trying to be a better man, a man that deserves you. A man that you would be proud to date to have you go and switch teams on me now!"

Rachel just stared at him. Did he just say he wanted to date her? He was trying to be a better man for her? She was utterly confused.

"Huh?"

"Look Rachel, I've...I've been trying to find a way to tell you this for weeks now. I'm fucking crazy about you ok? And I know I don't deserve you, but I've been trying to be better. I don't skip classes and I don't screw cougars. I don't screw anyone, cause your the only one I want to be with. And I actually read books cause you said it was important and shit. And I was early for glee, I had time to light one up behind the dumpster's but you don't like that so I came to glee early. I'm trying to be good enough for you."

Oh my God thought Rachel. He has feelings for me!

"Noah. I would never want you to be anyone other then yourself. And you were always good enough for me. And I'm crazy about you too, but I still don't see what any of this has to do with me joining the Cheerios?"

"The Cheerios?"

"Yes, Noah. Taylor Lampert broke her arm in two places so they need another girl and Britt and San have been trying to talk me into....What did you think they were trying to talk me into doing?!"

Oh shit! "Ugh, joining their... ya know...their special all girl team...."

Rachel looked at him and laughed out loud. "Noah, as pretty as the two of them are, well, their just not my type."

"Thank God. I can't beat up chic's Berry. So, wait, you have a type?"

Rachel walked over to him until they were sharing the same space, "Ugh huh. My type has green eyes and a really foul mouth."

Noah grinned at her. "Is that right?"

"Oh yes. My type also has really lovely arms, a sexy nipple ring and a pretty silly haircut."

"Hey! The hawk is badass Berry! It's not silly! You think the nipple ring is sexy?"

She leaned up on her toes and whispered into his ear, "Very sexy."

Puck got goosebumps. "And your crazy about me?"

Rachel nodded at him. "That's good then, cause I don't want to be the only one in this relationship that's crazy."

"Relationship?"

Puck smiled at her, "Yeah baby, your my girl. And those legs and that smokin ass belong to me. Got it?"

Rachel beamed at him. "Yeah I got it! Don't you think you should kiss me now? I'd hate to regret my decision to be on your team Puckerman," she teased.

Puck laughed and dipped his head to kiss her. He poured every feeling that he had ever had for her into this kiss. It was a mixture of love, laughter and a fair amount of lust. When he pulled back Rachel looked thoroughly at a loss for words.

Puck laughed, "It's our team baby. And you won't ever regret it."

She never did.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel Berry never regretted her decision to mend the friendships and relationships that had been shot to hell last year when Babygate had blown through the glee club. It had taken months but Finn and Quinn had found their way back to each other. Finn and Puck were still mending their friendship but it was happening. Quinn and Rachel had become really good friends which had led to the surprising development of Rachel being befriended by Santana and Brittany, which led to the current conversation that she had been engaged in all day.

Santana and Brittany had been talking her ear off about her joining the Cheerios. Quinn was all for it and had told Rachel that morning that she really hoped that she would join the squad, but Quinn wasn't going to hound her all day. San and Britt were trying to wear her down, she was quite sure of this. It started before school, into homeroom, texts in the hall, during lunch and now as they waited for glee to start.

Rachel didn't think it was an altogether bad idea, she was just nervous. She didn't want to make a fool of herself. She had come a long way since last year, no more slushie facials, no more ugly nicknames and she had honest-to-God friends. She was scared of letting them down. On the other hand she thought, if she did join then maybe, just maybe a certain green eyed boy might just notice her.

Perhaps that craziest thing that had happened since babygate was the friendship that had developed between herself and Noah. She had for the most part left him alone last year after he told her on the bleachers that they had never been friends. So when he sat beside her during glee practice a few times and smiled at her in the halls she was overjoyed. This had led to actual conversations and she told him lame jokes and somehow out of nothing they became friends. She was the one person who actually got to see Noah and not Puck. He let his guard down around her and she loved it. She loved him. And she had no clue what to do about it. Obviously Noah like Cheerios so maybe he'd see her a hot girl and not just his pal if she joined. Or he might laugh at her. She was so confused.

As she sat in the choir room between Britt and Santana the object of her thoughts walked into the room. He was more then 10 minutes early. She was impressed.

Rachel tuned back to what Brittany was saying once Noah was seated in the row behind her.

"Rachel, please! I'll be your best friend forever!"

"The answer is still no Brittany."

"But, but Rachel, we need you to do this," the blond girl whined back.

"No, you need someone, that someone does not have to be me," Rachel told her.

"Yes it does! It would be lots more fun if it were you! Plus you're a total hottie!"

"I don't see how that matters, Britt," said Rachel.

"San, tell her. Make her do it."

"It's like this Rachel. You're hot like Britt said. You have really fantastic hair and probably the best set of legs I've ever seen. And to quote Brad Davis, "Damn Berry's ass is smokin, bet I could bounce a quarter off of it." You're also flexible and you've got moves, I've seen them so you can't deny it. You're perfect for this Rach. Like you were made to do it."

Rachel felt her face heat up at the thought that Brad Davis was checking out her ass. And that Santana thought she had great legs. There was really only one person that she wanted checking out her ass and her legs and she doubted that he even noticed.

Rachel sighed, "That's all very nice, San, but this kind of thing, it's just not me. I don't think that I would be comfortable doing it. It's cool that you and Britt are into it but I don't think I would be very good."

Brittany reached over and took Rachel's hand, "Santana and I would never want you to be uncomfortable would we San?" Santana shook her head no. "We will be by your side the whole time. We will hold your hand and talk you through it. We'll even go shopping before hand so you have the right accessories. And you're good at everything that you try so you'll be great at this, too. You just have to trust us."

Rachel was slightly overwhelmed by the sincerity that she saw in Brittany's eyes. God, it was nice to have friends.

"You do trust us don't you, Rach?" Santana asked.

"Of course I do, that's not the issue. But this is not my area of expertise and I would really hate to let the two of you down. What if I suck at it?"

"You won't suck! You'll be amazing. And the costume, will look super hot on you!" Brittany answered.

"Totally! You've got the legs for the costume Rach." Santana said, grinning.

Rachel was about to turn to Santana and tell her that as long as her and Britt would be there with her that yes she would join or at least try out when Noah spoke up behind her.

"Look if Berry isn't into it then she isn't into it. Stop trying to push her. Not everyone wants to be on your team ya know," he all but growled.

Rachel smirked, "Oh, I very much want to be on their team, I'm just nervous about it. They've been at it for a long time and I have no experience."

She heard Mike, Matt and Finn all groan.

Noah shot straight up out of his seat. "That's it! I've had it!"

Rachel looked at him like he had lost his mind.

He jumped down to Rachel's level grabbed her by the hand and said, "We are going to have a little talk Berry."

"But, but Noah practice is about to start!"

"Too damn bad!"

He dragged Rachel out of the room and down the hall.

"Noah! You're about to pull my arm out of the socket! What is wrong with you?!"

Noah spun around. "What is wrong with me?! I'll tell you what is wrong with me! I haven't spent the last 5 months trying to be a better man, a man that deserves you. A man that you would be proud to date to have you go and switch teams on me now!"

Rachel just stared at him. My God! Did he just say he wanted to date her? He was trying to be a better man for her? She was utterly confused.

All of her big words failed her and all she could muster was a bewildered "Huh?"

"Look Rachel, I've...I've been trying to find a way to tell you this for weeks now. I'm fucking crazy about you ok? And I know I don't deserve you, but I've been trying to be better. I don't skip classes and I don't screw cougars. I don't screw anyone, cause you're the only one I want to be with. And I actually read books cause you said it was important and shit. And I was early for glee, I had time to light one up behind the dumpsters but you don't like that so I came to glee early. I'm trying to be good enough for you."

_Oh my God! _thought Rachel. _He has feelings for me! Real feelings! He cares about me the same way that I care about him! Even without flaunting my ass in a Cheerio uniform! _

Rachel had to take a deep cleansing breath to steady herself before she could speak. "Noah. I would never want you to be anyone other then yourself. And you were always good enough for me. And I'm crazy about you too, but I still don't see what any of this has to do with me joining the Cheerios?"

"The Cheerios?"

"Yes, Noah. Taylor Lampert broke her arm in two places so they need another girl and Britt and San have been trying to talk me into....What did you think they were trying to talk me into doing?!" Good Lord, she thought, nobody on earth confuses me the way Noah Puckerman does.

Oh shit! "Ugh, joining their... ya know...their special all girl team...."

Rachel looked at him and laughed out loud. "Noah, as pretty as the two of them are, well, they're just not my type."

"Thank God. I can't beat up chics Berry. So, wait, you have a type?"

Rachel walked over to him nodding her head until they were sharing the same space, "Ugh huh. My type has green eyes and a really foul mouth."

Noah grinned at her. "Is that right?"

"Oh yes. My type also has really lovely arms, a sexy nipple ring and a pretty silly haircut." She couldn't stop herself from teasing him about the mohawk; she knew how much he loved the thing.

"Hey! The hawk is badass, Berry! It's not silly! You think the nipple ring is sexy?"

Rachel didn't know where this flirty sexy side of her was coming from. But something about the way that Noah was looking at her made her feel daring. She leaned up on her toes and whispered into his ear, "Very sexy."

Puck got goosebumps. "And you're crazy about me?"

Rachel nodded at him. "That's good then, cause I don't want to be the only one in this relationship that's crazy."

Relationship! The biggest playboy in McKinley High's history had just uttered the word relationship. She couldn't believe it! "Relationship?"

Noah smiled at her, "Yeah baby, you're my girl. And those legs and that smokin ass belong to me. Got it?"

Rachel beamed at him. That suited her just fine cause if her lovely lady parts belonged to him then his yummy boy parts belonged to her. "Yeah I got it! Don't you think you should kiss me now? I'd hate to regret my decision to be on your team Puckerman," she teased.

Noah laughed and dipped his head to kiss her. Rachel thought that she had been kissed before, but this kiss, this kiss blew them all away. She felt every emotion that Noah felt for her and that she felt for him in this kiss. It was joyous and romantic and hot as ten hells. When he pulled back Rachel looked thoroughly at a loss for words.

Noah laughed, "It's our team, baby. And you won't ever regret it."

Rachel knew right then and there that she never would.


End file.
